Allen newhall



(No Model.)

A. NEWHALL.

PIRE ESCAPE.. No. 266,502. Patented 0013.24, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN NEWHALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN C. DIOKINSON, OF SAME PLACE.

FI RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,502, dated October 24, 1882.

Application lcd April 17, 188:2. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALLEN NEWHALL, of Brooklyn. in the county ot' Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Fire-Escapes, ot' which the following is a specification.

Frictional devices have been used with ropes, by which a person can descend on the outside ot' a building in case ot' iire, and in some inro stances the rope has passed around a pulley and theweight of the person has served to apply friction to such pulley in proportion to the said weight.

My invention relates to the combination with the rope-wheel ot' a double-acting leverbrake, controlled by the portion ot' the rope that is in use, so that the lever is actuated by thekweight of the person in descending, and as one end of thc rope is drawn down the zo other end is drawn up, so as to be ready for a second person to make use of in descending.

In the drawings, Figure l is an edge view Vof the tire-escape, and Fig. 2 is a section at the line .t fr.

The ring, hook, or loop a is used to suspend this fire-escape. It may be permanently connected to a suspending eye or hook, or it may be removed therefrom when not in use.

The cheek-pieces or side frames, b b, are supported by the loop or ring a, the bolt c passing transversely through the parts. kThis bolt c also forms the pivot for the brake-lever d, and at the ends ot' this brake lever there are sheaves or wheelsfand g.

The main wheel or sheave It is between the cheeks b, and supported by an axle or pin 7c. There is a deep groove in the periphery of this wheel h that is wide enough for the rope l, which makes nearly one and a halt' coil 4o around such wheel lL, and passes up over the respective grooved sheaves fand g, andthen descends within the shell and in contact with the inner faces ot' the inclined jaws m n. These jaws are bolted i'ast between the cheeks b b, and form with them the shell, and both ends of the rope pass out at the mouth between b b and m n. 1f the groove in the wheel l1, is V-shaped, the rope may' pass only across below its lower side instead of making 5o one and a halt' turn. There are one or more weighted knobs or grasping-pieces p p at the respective ends of the rope. These may be' made as loops or stirrups for the foot to be placed in, while the rope is grasped by the hands, orthe hands alone may be depended onto grasp the rope above the knobp Orp. I. however, prefer to use a strap that is to be buckled around the person below the arms.

When in position for use aperson grasps and pulls upon one of the ends ot' the rope- 6o say the rope at the knob p/ the weightthereon draws down the wheel j', and with it the lever d, applying a powerful friction between the lever at 3 and the surface of the wheel h. This prevents said wheel h turningtoo fast, and hence the person will descend by gravity, but will not come down too quickly, as the greater the weight of the person the greater will be the friction of the hrakelever upon the wheel h. At the saine time the rope draws over the 7o inner surface of thejaw m, and there is a friction thereon that lessens the speed ot' descent. As one end ot' the rope is drawn down by the person that is using the escape the other end of the'rope is drawn up, ready to be 75 used by another person. The weight ot' a person at the knob p swings the lever d and brings the part 4 ofthe lever into contact with the surface of the wheel 7L, applying friction to the same, and the rope, as it is drawn down, 8o runs over the inner surface of thejaw n, and the detaining friction required is applied to the rope as the person descends.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the wheel h, and the suspending shell for the same, ot" the brake-lever d, the wheelsfg at the respective ends thercot',and the rope passing' around the wheels laf, and g, substantially as set forth, whereby the lever is brought into action as a 9o brake when either end of the rope is descending, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the wheel It, of a suspending-shell having the inclined jaws m n, the lever d, the wheels fg at the ends of such lever, and the rope l, the parts being arranged so that the rope draws over the surfaces ot' the jaws m n, substantially as set forth. y

Signed by me this 5th day ot' April, A. D. roo 1882.

ALLEN NEWHALL.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLTAM G. Mor'r. 

